All she had to do was ask
by Mika Uriah
Summary: “You know the part where it says: ‘if I ever hold you I’ll never let go, But if I never do how will I know?’ that part?” Bruce nodded, as he read and reread the poem\letter. “All she had to do was ask, Bruce.” Song fic and character death!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: You caught me, I own everything that involves Batman and the Batman/Batman Beyond Franchise - I am also the first female 23 year old non Catholic Pope, and the creator of Microsoft -- Seriously, I own nothing.

I

Tonight was like every other night for Terry McGinnis; stars were over head, black cowl around his eyes the feel of the peddle under his foot as the bat-mobile slowly accelerated, Bruce in his ear telling him about the 'good ol' days' when he was the Dark Knight.

It was just the way Terry liked it. Just the way he craved it. Not that he would ever tell Bruce Wayne that.

It was a quiet night. A little too quiet. This made him on edge, he knew that there was something about to jump off somewhere, but he wasn't sure where...or what for that matter; and without a formidable lead he was stuck patrolling until they got one.

"Everything seems quiet out here, why don't you come back for the night? You got to study anyway, you're mom is liable to make you quit if you fail another test." Bruce's gruff, yet still commanding voice came through the radio.

Terry rubbed at his tired eyes, "Yeah okay. Just give me a fifteen or so more minutes, something is up and I want to wait it out."

Bruce in that Batcave raised an eyebrow "oh? What do you think is wrong?"

Batman sighed, "I dunno to be honest; its just a-" he was cut off.

"A feeling?"

"Yeah? Ever get 'em?"

Bruce nodded and patted his beloved Ace on the head and scratched him behind the ears, "Sometimes. I learned that it's best to follow your instincts, and to stay away from exploding cupcakes."

Terry looked at the radio and raised an eyebrow behind the cowl, "Exploding cupcakes?" he turned down Park Avenue down Crime Alley

"Uh, its a long story."

The squeal of the tires muffled the sound of Bruce's voice.

"Tell me lat-" Time quite literally slowed down as he seen a black car drive passed him full speed he slammed on the breaks to stop himself from getting hit; "shit!" the black sleek family car hit the yellow sports car ahead of it, driving the yellow car into the pole the windshield shattering, metal bent and shredded as if plastic put threw a paper Shredder.

The smell of leaking gasoline from both cars immediately burnt the nostrils of Terry McGinnis and he put the car in park. He sat there for a second letting his thoughts collect before he reacted.

"Batman?"

There was no answer.

Terry?"

Panic rose in the octogenarian's voice, "Is everything all right?"

"Ye-ah." He tried to stop his voice from shaking. "Sorry I just seen a car smash into a pole.

"Oh?"

"Ye-ah," he cursed that his voice still shook "there is no way they survived that, I'm going to go check and be sure."

"Careful Batman."

"I will be." He took a deep breath, and made sure the radio transmitter in the ear of the bat suit was working before he put the car in park and got out of the car.

"What do you see?"

"The usual, tire marks, glass..." He watched the driver door open on the sleek family station wagon looking car and the driver, a middle aged man slump out onto the concrete.

Terry ran over to him quickly, assessing the situation; he heard the shriek of sirens from the emergency crews and he knew they were close "are you okay?"

The man who caused the accident was about 45 and clean shaven with glasses, his short mousy brown hair was mussed and he only had a deep cut on his forehead so Terry stepped over him and walked to the yellow sports car -- he heard faintly behind him "heeyy Bamtan okay shuurre, I'm drunk. But, this is the first time I've been drunk in forever. I'm not really a drinker. I haven't really had a drink ever...since my DUI."

He rolled his eyes and fought the urge to kick him in the ribs.

As he walked to the pole he got a closer look at the car and true panic set in "there is no fucking way!" he read the license plate and walked to the cracked windshield where he was met with a face into an exploded airbag and familiar purple hair."

He had a million thoughts going through his head at once he tried to open the driver side door but the door was too mangled to open straight, he looked around before he pulled out a pocket laser out of his bat belt and cut the door off the hinges "Hey Bruce? Do you have an ETA on the emergency crew? They should've been here by now."

"Five minutes. What's going on?"

He ignored the question and tried to take the girl out of the seat belt after cutting the hinge with the laser again the girl with the black skin and purple hair slumped over half dangling out of the yellow sports car before he caught her and dragged her out, "Max?" he whispered.

He tapped her bruised and cut up face lightly; Broken bones and bruises riddled her smooth coco-colored skin; he felt for a pulse, it was slow and thready, weak.

Her brown eyes opened and she smiled softly. It was amazing to him how gorgeous she looked even when she was bloodied "Terry?" she whispered?

He nodded, the emergency crews arrived and he wished he could take off his mask instead he touched her face "yeah its me," he whispered.

"Love...you..." She coughed up blood, a sure sign of internal bleeding.

He closed his eyes behind the mask "sssshhh rest, I love you too," he whispered.

"Tired, Terry." Her voice became weaker the more she talked, the more she talked the more blood she coughed up "sleep now? I'm cold."

He nodded, tears freely flowing down his face, passed the mask down to his chin; he didn't bother wiping them away. He took off his cape and laid her on the concrete resting the cape over her body like a makeshift blanket.

She smiled her thanks and closed her eyes. She didn't wake up, no matter how many times he called her name.

Maxine Gibson died that night, and instead of it being in the arms of her best friend. It was in the arms of the masked teenaged vigilante: Batman.

Terry stepped away from the her body letting the paramedics do there job, even though it was too late.

Bruce heard the whole thing and was too shocked himself to say anything. He continued to scratch behind Ace's ear; "Terry?" Bruce finally managed to get out.

Terry didn't say anything, he just started to walk back to the car, "Batman?" a young female paramedic called for him and he turned around.

"Yeah?"

"You forgot your cape." She took it off the dead body to give it back.

He walked back to the car and got inside.


	2. Chapter 2

II

Bruce Wayne heard the rumbling of the faux rock wall open and the bat mobile running towards the bat cave.

He stopped scratching Ace's head and turned off he Bat-computer, and stood by the car dock.

The roof opened up and 18 year old Terry McGinnis hopped out looking completely heart broken.

He nodded towards Bruce, but there was no snappy or sarcastic comment; no suave, not it all gait that Terry usually had, just a heart broken masked hero who could save Gotham; but couldn't save his best friend.

Terry's back was toward Bruce as he took off the cowl and held it in his hand and he sat in the chair in front of the bat-computer: "I'm sorry, Terry."

Terry nodded, he didn't trust himself to talk.

The two man sat there in silence; in a weird combination of trying to figure out what to say next and remembering Maxine.

"Her parents are in Hong Kong, on business." He finally broke the silence "I don't know how to contact them."

Bruce put a hand on the boy's shoulder; "I'll take care of that."

Terry nodded his thanks, "I'm supposed to go to school tomorrow, and I am dating her best friend...and its like how am I supposed to tell Dana that Max died in my arms without telling her that I'm Batman?"

Bruce sighed and rubbed his face, Ace the guard dog set his head on Terry's lap and whimpered until Terry pet his head; "I told you in the beginning that there would come a day that you would have to make a choice. Protect Gotham. Or, protect your friends and family, when I told you that...I didn't think you would have to make that decision so soon, I'm sorry Terry."

"Thats the thing Bruce," the young man sighed and fought the urge to punch something, he stood up and paced: "I protected Gotham, only to have one of my friends die in my arms because one of its citizens. I...I feel like I failed." He threw the cowl on the floor and ignored the tears streaming down his face.

Batman didn't cry. Terry sure as hell didn't care what Batman did, at the moment.

Bruce blinked; "you didn't fail anyone Terry, you were there for Maxine in your own way, She knew you were Batman; You both knew that you were there for her. I know it doesn't help at the moment...but..." he trailed off not knowing what else to say in moments like this; He was never really one to give the bad news. Bruce was never the one to do the comforting, now he wished he had more practice.

Terry found himself facing Bruce after Bruce's little speech, he took a step forward and bowed his head and finally let the dam of emotion break and he found himself hugging the older man as heart retching sobs let loose.

Terry didn't feel this empty and hollow, after his own father died; why did he feel so badly now? Like he was dead to the world? Like a part of him died with Max?

He sighed and pulled back from Bruce's jacket and sniffed, wondering if saline tears on a black designer wool suit jacket would stain; "sorry." He sniffed and rubbed at his eyes.

Bruce shook his head and patted the teenager on the shoulder "Batman doesn't apologize for crying in the suit when the time is right."

Terry found himself chuckling, "I thought Batman doesn't cry?"

Bruce shrugged, "Everyone cries Terry, hell, even Superman. It makes it more masculine though if you don't say: 'sorry' after."

Terry sat down in front of the bat-computer again; "she told me she loved me...before-"

Bruce nodded and threw a ball for Ace to go find "I know."

"I told her I loved her too."

"I know."

"Bruce."

"Ya?"

"I meant it."

"Oh. Terry."

"Yes?"

"I really am sorry."

"So am I, Bruce, so am I."


	3. Chapter 3

III

When Terry finally passed out from just plain emotional exhaustion, Bruce didn't have the heart to wake him up.

Bruce called Terry's mother and let told her that he didn't have an issue with the young McGinnis boy sleeping there for the night or as long as he needed to for that matter.

By the time Terry convinced himself that he should go to school; the flag was already at half mast. Friends and teachers a like were hugging and grieving out in the parking lot, outside the front doors and it was obvious that the news about Maxine had gotten around.

He sighed and tried his best to make it through the crowded, grieving hallways to Maxine's locker; where he already found it open 'so much for cleaning it out before Dana got here' he thought; "Dana..." he whispered "Oh! Man!" he quickly ran to the open locker and sure enough, Terry's girlfriend and Maxine's best friend was the one standing there with Max's locker door open.

He sighed and took a breath then knocked on the door to get her attention, she moved her head and the locker door and saw Terry; her face fell instantly "oh...Terry...its Max..." she managed to choke out and he opened his arms.

"I already know, Hon; Its okay....ssshhhh..." she collapsed in his arms and Terry slid down the banks of lockers and held her close and let her cry.

They stayed like, the only sound in the hallway was the ticking of a really loud clock in the classroom across the hallway and Dana Tan sniffling in to Terry's leather jacket and black T-shirt.

She finally pulled away after more time passed "how did you find out?" she hiccuped "I called your mom last night to" hiccup "tell you and she said you were still...at work."

Terry closed his eyes "Mr. Wayne and I drove passed the accident, I recognized Max's car." He was getting to good at this lying thing. "the paramedics wouldn't let us go pass the barricade though." He swallowed "If it helps, Batman was there." He didn't ask how she was told.; he didn't think she needed to relive that nightmare.

Dana let out a small chuckle despite the situation; "she was obsessed with that stupid hero; figures she would finally meet him when she..." she bit back the last word and the sob that was coming with it.

He continued to hug her and let his own tears fall.

More moments passed before he trusted himself to talk about "C'mon," he whispered into Dana's black hair "you know how much Max hated having her locker opened longer than necessary; let's finish cleaning it out, okay?"

She nodded, sighed and stood back up again "I don't know how to contact her parents, Terry, they are still in Hong Kong."

"Mr. Wayne said that he can figure out how to contact them, we should just worry about grieving."

She let out a small smile; "thats really nice of him, and you say he is nothing but a cantankerous old bat."

Terry let out his own half smile at the memory of the conversation he held with Bruce Wayne last night and they hug both men shared; "he has his moments." He shrugged "I think he would've been a really cool guy had met when he was younger." He needed the topic change.

Dana nodded; "oh before I forget; I uhmm...think Max wanted you to have these..."

"Oh? What makes you think that?"

"Cause there is an envelope with 'Terry' penned on it and the envelope is stuck to the book so...I put one and one together and got two, okay?" she handed him the notebook that was wrapped in Chinese silk red cloth.

He nodded, he would open it later; he had a sense this was private and would respect Max's wishes. Where ever she was, "Thanks, you taking anything?"

Dana smiled softly "just my shirt and the CD she never returned, I think the rest should go to her parents and they could decide what to do with it."

Terry nodded and took the box "Can I go with you? When you drop it off you drop it off I mean?"

"Oh Terry," Dana almost frowned.

"What?"

"I'm not going to drop it off, the Principal is; on behalf of the school."

Terry shook his head, "I think I would rather do it," He screwed his eyes shut and thought about it "never mind. Maybe its for the best that the administration does it instead."

Dana nodded; "You okay?"

He leaned over and kissed her lips softly "I..I don't think I should've came to school, to be honest." He started when he peeled himself away carefully; "I think maybe I should head home." He gave her the box with the mementos from Maxine's locker and took the book and the envelope with his name on it and quickly and quietly left the school before he could be spotted by anyone else in the school.

Bruce found Terry in the study reading the book that Maxine left him by the fire place and Bruce found himself sighing; "I'm not going to ask why you aren't at school. Because, I don't believe in asking questions that you already know the answer to."

Terry looked up from the book and into the flames that were snapping and crackling in the fire place "thanks," he whispered.

"I am contemplating on charging you rent though," the older man teased.

"Take it out of my pay check."

Bruce raised an eyebrow as he sat on the couch; he knew he wouldn't be able to get up once he had sunk into the soft material, but he would worry about that later; he chuckled "fair enough," he played with his cane "what's that?" he pointed to the book.

"A book that Max left for me. Its a notebook with all of her favorite quotes and sayings, song lyrics, things like that. I guess she figured it would've been something that I would've liked to keep of hers.

Bruce took the book and turned it over in his hands, without opening it; "was she right?"

Terry nodded with a half smile.

"May I?" his hand was on the cover of the notebook; but he waited for Terry's permission.

"Yeah sure."

He flipped through the book glancing at some of the quotes casually and found himself smiling at the little sketches in the corner or how some of the I's where dotted with little hearts or flowers depending on what the quote was about: "who knew little Max had a girly side."

Terry shrugged, "I know, you never would've expected it, by the way she is at school."

"I guess that shows: how little you can know someone, even if you see them every day."

"Guess so."

"What's that?" Bruce noticed the envelope for the first time on the couch between them.

"An envelope with my name on it." He deadpanned.

"Smart-ass"

"Learned from the best."

"You know if you were female and I was 40 years younger; I might've said flattery would get you somewhere. In this case it won't." He hit Terry lightly with his cane to show him he was joking.

The teenager laughed dryly; unlike all the other secrets that Bruce Wayne had to keep secret over the years; his bachelor playboy image was not one of them.

"Seriously though, you going to open it?"

"I dunno."

"Why not?"

"It could be bad news."

"It could be great news."

"Any good news from Max's locker will be bad news anyway; its not like I can share with her in it."

"Look, Terry, I've never been good with death; and I've certainly never been the one that people went to when they needed comfort." he shrugged "and to be honest, I don't know why, I'm sure someone with some degree in clinical psychology could tell me its because I never had the closure that I needed when it came to the death of my parents. But, you know what I think?"

Terry shook his head "no."

"I think they're wrong; cause..maybe..we never actually die. Maybe we live on in the future generations; and the memories from our loved ones, and the legacies we leave."

The young batman picked up the envelope and turned it over in his hands "you think this little envelope might be her legacy?"

Bruce picked up the notebook again; "you already have her memories. You never know, right?

"What would batman do?"

Bruce shrugged; "they used to call Batman the world's greatest detective; you know why that was, Terry?"

"Cause you cold solve all those cases and mysteries; right?"

Bruce shook his head; "No. well okay that might've had something to do with it. But, he also knew that sometimes knew that sometimes an envelope addressed to him was just an envelope with his name on it. And, sometimes, it could be so much more. But, you know what Terry?"

"What?"

"Sometimes you don't know, unless you open it."

"You aren't very subtle."

"I'm 86, if I would be more subtle, I would be dead."

Terry laughed, the first genuine laugh since Batman found Maxine dead.

He slid is finger under the seal of the white envelope and took a breath before he took out the folded up slip of yellow paper, so thin it was almost tissue paper.

Bruce stood up to give the teen some privacy; Terry stopped him "stay? please?" He read the letter and sighed; tears in his eyes again.

"What is it?"

"Its addressed to be, but, its song lyrics to a song that she was always in love with. Says it used to remind her of all the possibilities."

He cleared his throat and read aloud the lyrics written out in overtly feminine hand writing and blue gel pen:

"Dear Terry," he sighed: "I've got something to tell you that I just can't say

So I'm writing it down in case maybe someday

Our lives take a turn down a road

We can't see right now

I know you're happy and I'm happy for you

But since you found each other

I've been so confused

Cause I believe there's one soul on this earth

That was meant for mine

I was sent here to find

What if it's you

What if our hearts were meant to be one

What'll I do

Knowing that I'll never love anyone

As much as I do love you

What if it's true

What if it's you

If destiny called and I missed my cue

Do I get one more chance

Oh how I wish I knew

I'll never again put my heart in the hands of fate

If it's not too late

What if it's you

What if our hearts were meant to be one

What'll I do

Knowing that I'll never love anyone

As much as I do love you

What if it's true

What if it's you

If I ever hold you I'll never let go

But if I never do how will I know

What if it's you

What if our hearts were meant to be one

What'll I do

Knowing that I'll never love anyone

As much as I do love you

What if it's true

What if it's you

What'll I do

What if it's true

What if it's you"

Bruce sighed "wow,"

"It was dated after Dana and I started dating." He showed him the letter.

"Ah."

"So, she was in love with me all this time? Thought we were potentially soul mates? and she told me in a letter."

"Looks like it."

"You know what sucks about all of this?"

Bruce shook his head.

"You know the part where it says: 'if I ever hold you I'll never let go, But if I never do how will I know?' that part?"

Bruce nodded, as he read and reread the poem\letter.

"All she had to do was ask, Bruce."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean all she would've had to do was go 'Terry? Can I hold you?' 'Can I feel you?' 'Touch you'? whatever it was that she needed and I would've been like 'of course Max' and I would've hugged her close; and we could've figured out if we were meant to be together or not, together." Terry shook his head, as Bruce found himself giving Terry another hug "all she had to do was ask." he sniffed "thats all she would've had to do."

For the second time that week, Terry had cried himself to sleep. Dreaming of Maxine Gibson dying in his arms and thinking of what might've been, would now never come true.


End file.
